Worldbuilding, Writing, and Miscellanea

Tower’s World: High Magic Schools

Because instruction in high magic is illegal on Earth, in the Tower’s world, a number of schools have been created in demi-planes attached to Earth in various ways. The schools are all independent of the factions, although they obviously draw faculty and staff raised in factions. Students can come from any faction and are expected to leave any faction affiliation on Earth for the duration of their time in classes (not that this necessarily works in practice). The same is true of faculty and staff, upon hiring they sever all faction ties on Earth and join their school “faction”, though lessons and views ingrained by their original faction tend to be difficult to completely set aside.

Three of the more well-known high magic schools are detailed here:

Tower, The

Arguably the oldest high magic school attached to Earth, The Tower has an impressive reputation and list of alumni. It is probably the most inclusive of the schools in both philosophy and subject matter. All high magics are taught, once students have a solid grounding in sorcery. The Tower plays no favorites in that regard. Tower faculty also conduct a wide range of research in magical and mundane subjects, and they are sometimes called upon as consultants by mages on Earth. All Tower students also receive at least basic level combat training, to protect themselves once they return to Earth and the conflicts between factions.

Henge, The

Centered on a circle of standing stones, The Henge was founded by a group of ex-Coven sorcerers. As such, the Henge is mostly composed of cabins and tent areas and has a very nature oriented focus. In fact, Henge student and faculty ranking is loosely based on the old Celtic divisions of druidism, supposedly held from actual Celts (the school is possibly old enough to support that claim). Witchcraft and waerlomancy are preferred low magics for entry, and the school favors teaching alchemy (as herbalism), sorcery, blood magic, cryptomancy (druidic tree based), and coitomancy. They focus on a non-conflict pedagogy, but also offer basic self-defense and related training for those who wish it.

Villa Sforza

The Villa Sforza is one of the more infamous high magic schools. It is a cutthroat institution, literally in some cases, although most prefer poison or duels. In addition to instruction in most high magics, Villa Sforza faculty also teach the acquisition of power and position by any means necessary, including assassination and blackmail. It is rumored that the only way to advance as a student or member of the faculty is to create an opening in a higher level of the school, whether by forcing someone to step down (faculty) or eliminating them permanently.

But, I wanted the factions based in different worldviews that influence how they understand magic (it’s essentially all the same magic). While the high magic schools are non-faction, they certainly reflect different origins — Tower basic, Henge druidic inspired, Sforza more Machiavelli/Borgias inspired.